P 700 
Copy 2 



Sixty-Sixth Congress, Third Session 



House Document No. 1025 



DICK T. MORGAN 

(Late a Representative from Oklahoma) 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 

DELIVERED IN THE 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OF THE UNITED STATES 



SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS 
THIRD SESSION 



February 27, 1921 



PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 




Q_i.'^<'Hl3 ^ 



WASHINGTON 

1922 



m 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

MAY 2519^2 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 

Proceedings in the House 5 

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Gouden, D. D 5, 7 

Memorial addresses by — 

Mr. Everette B. Howard, of Oklahoma 11 

Mr. William W. Hastings, of Oklahoma 13 

Mr. Charles A. Christopherson, of South Dakota — 15 

Mr. J. M. C. Smith, of Michigan 17 

Mr. Scott Ferris, of Oklahoma 19 

Mr. John W. Harreld, of Oklahoma 22 

Mr. Richard Yates, of Illinois 26 

Mr. Tom D. McKeown, of Oklahoma 28 

Mr. J. N. Tincher, of Kansas 31 

Mr. James V. McGlintic, of Oklahoma 33 

Mr. Andrew J. Volstead, of Minnesota 35 

Mr. Wells Goodykoontz, of West Virginia 37 

Mr. Gharles Swindall, of Oklahoma 39 



[3] 




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DEATH OF HON. DICK T. MORGAN 



PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE 



Monday, December 6, 1920. 
This being the day fixed by the Constitution of the 
United States for the annual meeting of the Congress, the 
House of Representatives of the Sixty-sixth Congress met 
in its Hall at 12 o'clock noon for its third session, and was 
called to order by the Speaker, Hon. Frederick H. Gillett, 
a Representative from the State of Massachusetts. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer : 

Eternal Spirit, our heavenly Father, infinite in Thine at- 
tributes, whose judgments are true and righteous alto- 
gether, reveal unto us more clearly Thy purposes and give 
us the desire, the zeal, the courage to conform our ways 
to Thine. Continue Thy favors unto us as a people and 
inspire those in authority with clear vision, high ideals, 
noble endeavors, that the concurrent branches of govern- 
ment may work together in harmony and in unison with 
Thee; that we may continue an ensample to all the world 
for true, just, and equitable government. And grant that 
the whole family of mankind under Thy divine influence 
may become indeed citizens of Thy kingdom; that Thy 
will may be done in earth as it is in heaven, to the glory 
and honor of Thy holy name, and the eternal good of 
mankind. 

Since we last met, our Father in heaven, two strong, 
pure, and efficient Members of this House have passed 

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Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 



over the great divide, leaving the world the poorer for 
their going. Bless, we pray Thee, those that knew and 
loved them, especially those bound to them by the ties of 
kinship, with the eternal hope of the immortality of the 
soul, revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Mr. Carter. It becomes my painful duty to inform the 
House of Representatives of the death of my colleague, 
Hon. Dick T. Morgan, a Representative from the eighth 
district of the State of Oklahoma in the Sixty-sixth Con- 
gress, which occurred at Danville, 111., on the 4th day of 
July, 1920. 

My colleague was held in high esteem by the people of 
his district and by all of his colleagues here, and we all 
sincerely mourn his passing. At an appropriate time I 
shall ask the House to set aside a day for exercises in 
commemoration of his life and public services. For the 
present I offer the following resolution. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

House resolution 596 

Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
the death of Hon. Dick T. Morgan, a Representative from the 
State of Oklahoma. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate a copy of these reso- 
lutions to the Senate. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

Mr. Mondell. Mr. Speaker, as a further mark of respect 
to our deceased colleague, Dick T. Morgan, I move that 
the House do now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 12 o'clock 
and 52 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to- 
morrow, Tuesday, December 7, 1920, at 12 o'clock noon. 



16] 



Proceedings in the House 



Tuesday, January 18, 1921. 

Mr. Carter. Mr. Speaker, I ask unnnimous consent that 
Sunday, February 27, be set apart for addresses on the 
life, character, and public services of the late Representa- 
tive Dick T. Morgan, of Oklahoma. 

The Speaker. The gentleman from Oklahoma asks that 
Sunday, February 27, be set apart for memorial services 
on the life, character, and public services of the late Rep- 
resentative Morgan of Oklahoma. Is there objection? 

There was no objection. 

Saturday, February 26, 1921. 
The Speaker, The Chair will designate Mr. Carter, of 
Oklahoma, to preside to-morrow over the exercises for 
Mr. Morgan, of Oklahoma. 

Sunday, February 27, 1921. 

The House met at 12 o'clock noon and was called to 
order by Mr. Fordney as Speaker pro tempore. 

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
following prayer: 

Eternal God, our heavenly Father, possess with Thy 
spirit our souls; for spirit may meet spirit and soul mingle 
with soul in consolation and hope. 

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man 
shall hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to 
him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 

We have assembled to memorialize the lives, characters, 
and public services of two men who have served upon the 
floor of this House and left behind them records that may 
give light and comfort to those who follow them. Be with 
their comrades, friends, and kinsfolk in this hour of dis- 
tress and sorrow. Comfort them with the blessed hope 
of the immortality of the soul, that has come down to us 
through the ages and has been recorded in public writ. 



[7] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 



Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, be- 
lieve also in me. 

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not 
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come 
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there 
ye may be also. 

Blessed thought! We thank Thee, our Father, for that 
thought, for that consolation, for that hope; in Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the 
special order. 

The Clerk read as follows: 

On motion of Mr. Carter, by unanimous consent, 
Ordered, That Sunday, February 27, 1921, be set apart for 
addresses on the life, character, and public service of Hon. Dick 
T. Morgan, late a Representative from the State of Oklahoma. 

Mr. Swindall. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following reso- 
lution. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Okla- 
homa offers a resolution, which the Clerk will report. 

The Clerk read as follows : 

House resolution 701 

Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, 
that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. 
Dick T. Morgan, late a Representative from the State of Oklahoma. 

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory 
of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public 
career, the House at the conclusion of these exercises shall stand 
adjourned. 

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
Senate. 

Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the 
family of the deceased. 

The resolution was agreed to. 

[8] 



Proceedings in the House 



Mr. Howard. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members who desire to do so may extend their 
remarks in the Record. 

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Okla- 
homa asks unanimous consent that all Members be per- 
mitted to extend their remarks in the Record. Is there 
objection? 

There was no objection. 



[9] 



MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 



Address of Mr. Howard, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker: We are here to-day to pay tribute to the 
memory of our departed colleague, Dick T. Morgan, 
whom I have known intimately and well for over 30 
years. My first acquaintance with Mr. Morgan was in the 
pioneer days of Oklahoma in 1889. Those were days that 
tested the mettle of men, and he was one of Oklahoma's 
pioneers who even in those days met the test. He was 
to me in those days a boyhood benefactor. When I first 
met him he was engaged in the publication of Morgan's 
Land Laws, a publication that was of great benefit to the 
early settlers of Oklahoma, and one which is now often 
referred to by the courts of Oklahoma in decisions relat- 
ing to real estate titles, especially on the west side of the 
State. It was in the capacity of a boy printer working 
on that publication that I first came to know him inti- 
mately, and I have never forgotten the kindly interest that 
this good man took in me as a boy at that time, and have 
on numerous occasions had reason to remember the good 
advice given me by him in the days in which I was pass- 
ing from boyhood to manhood. Ever after we were inti- 
mate friends, and I mourn his loss to-day. 

Mr. Morgan was a strong and courageous man, never 
hesitating to do what he believed was right. He had 
many warm friends, who at all times stood by him loy- 
ally. He has done a great deal for his district in Okla- 
homa and for the entire State, and for this he will long 
be remembered, even by those who knew him slightly. 
The greatest service that can be rendered is to give to 

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Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

those who are in need of help and who are unable to 
help themselves and are unable to return to you the serv- 
ices which you might render them or the benefits which 
you might bestow upon them; in other words, unselfish 
service and favors from a pure motive, with no hope of 
return or personal reward. In his service to his district 
and State Mr. Morgan was unselfish and untiring in his 
efforts to help those who needed help. He was the soul 
of courtesy, true as steel, firm as a rock. No man ever did 
him a kindness he did not repay. His death is a loss to 
his State and to the Republic. He was patriotic in the 
fullest sense of the term. He cherished America the same 
as an infant loves its mother. He exemplified true home 
life in every way. He was devoted to his wife and chil- 
dren, and in their company he found rest and pleasure. 
Dick T. Morgan has passed to the great beyond, but he 
leaves many behind who will long mourn his loss and 
always keep his name in pleasant memory. So on this 
Sabbath morning I say peace to his ashes and rest and 
happiness to his soul. 



[12] 



Address of Mr. Hastings, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker: The death of Dick Thompson Morgan 
came as a shock to each Member of the Oklahoma delega- 
tion and to his thousands of friends in our home State. 

When I last saw him he was in his usual good health. 
He was about to leave for home to enjoy a well-earned 
vacation. I deeply regret that when death came I was 
out of the State, on the Pacific coast, and was not privi- 
leged to attend the funeral. 

Before coming to Congress, six years ago, I had a slight 
acquaintance with him. He was known by reputation to 
practically every one of the citizens of our home State. 
While serving in the House with him I learned to know 
him intimately and to appreciate his many admirable 
qualities. He was one of the hardest working men in 
Congress. No man kept in closer touch with the people 
of his district than he did, and no man more nearly repre- 
sented their views upon the floor of the House than Dick 
T. Morgan. He represented one of the great agricultural 
districts of the Southwest, and his intense loyalty to the 
farmer was well known to every Member of the House. 
He took a deep interest in all legislation affecting the 
farmers of the country, and they had no more loyal or 
intelligent supporter. 

He was greatly interested in rural credits and wrote a 
splendid book upon the subject. I preserved the volume 
that he was kind enough to give me and appreciate the 
vast amount of data that he collected. When the farm- 
loan act was up for consideration he took an active inter- 
est in the bill and was of material assistance in securing 
legislation upon the subject. 

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Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

He was the ranking majority member of the Judiciary 
Committee and took much interest in the work of the 
committee. 

While Dick Thompson Morgan was a Republican, he 
was liberal in his views, loyal to his friends, and trusted 
by each Member of the Oklahoma delegation. We were 
always glad to invite him into our councils and glad to 
have his advice. He leaves to his wife and son a splendid 
reputation and the heritage of a good name. He was a 
faithful and affectionate husband, a loyal and consistent 
friend, and a patriotic and beloved public servant. The 
district. State, and Nation that he so loyally and patriot- 
ically served will miss him. I want to take occasion to 
say this word in behalf of his memory and to express my 
appreciation for his confidence and friendship. 



[141 



Address of Mr. Christopherson, of South Dakota 

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House: It was not 
my pleasure to have known the late Congressman Dick T. 
Morgan for a long time, but you did not have to know him 
long in order to realize that he was one who had a warm 
feeling and abundance of good fellowship for his fellow 
man. 

He was ever sociable, genial, jovial, and with a smile 
of good cheer that radiated friendship and which quickly 
removed that reserve usually present with strangers. 
With him you quickly felt a close and friendly acquaint- 
ance. In his daily life he truly exempliiied the thought of 
him who said : 

Let me live in my house by the side of the road 
And be a friend of men. 

To the new Members was he especially considerate and 
thoughtful. Notwithstanding his many duties, his active 
participation in committee work, and the daily sessions of 
the House, Mr. Morgan always found time to encourage 
and advise a new Member in the procedure of legislation. 
His was a kindly disposition. He not only sought success 
on his own behalf, but was always on the alert to be of 
help and service to a fellow Member whose experience 
and knowledge of legislation were not as broad as his own. 

I had the pleasure to serve with him upon the Judiciary 
Committee of this House and there had the opportunity 
to observe his work. You did not associate with him long 
until you realized that he was not only industrious and 
painstaking, but that he also showed a conscientious de- 
votion to his public duties and service. In his work you 
readily realized that he was guided not by that which was 



[15] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

politic or expedient, but that he always tried to determine 
what was the right, just, and equitable side of any matter 
under discussion, and having determined that question 
Mr. Morgan always supported that side fearlessly and with 
determination until the matter was finally settled. 

Just after the close of the last session and before our 
departure for home I had a very pleasant visit with Mr. 
Morgan. He was then talking enthusiastically about a 
trip that he contemplated taking, with his good wife, dur- 
ing the vacation. He was looking forward to a pleasant 
journey with all the hope and pleasure that one could 
anticipate from a vacation and a well-earned rest. But 
death is ever present, and the wisest knoweth not how 
soon, for even then the angel of death was near. In a few 
days he laid his cold hand upon the brow of our colleague, 
Mr. Morgan, and he was asleep, and we realize to-day that 
his voice has been stilled forever. As we recall that he is 
with us no more we are again reminded how uncertain is 
our tenure of life, and there come to mind the lines of 
the poet who said: 

What is life? 'Tis a beautiful shell 

Thrown up by eternity's flow 
On Time's bank of quicksand to dwell 

And a moment it's loveliness to show. 

Gone back to its elements grand 

Is the billow that washed it ashore; 
See, another now washes the strand 

And the beautiful shell is no more. 



[16] 



Address of Mr. Smith, of Michigan 

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House : When I first 
came to Congress, 10 years ago, I lived at the same hotel 
with Mr. Morgan, and when I last met him, last smnmer, 
we were living at the same hotel. I knew him very well. 
He was a man of fine social qualities and upright char- 
acter and one who made warm friends. He represented 
that fine, young, aggressive State that is making such 
progress in the galaxy of the States of our Union, and he 
represented it with ability, energy, and intelligence. He 
was always loyal to its interests. He never missed an 
occasion when he could promote its welfare. He was 
active on the floor, and was especially interested in the 
progress of agriculture. He was an authority upon the 
farm-loan law, concerning which he wrote a volume, and 
he was an enthusiastic champion of that law. 

Mr. Morgan was a man of high qualities, noble pur- 
poses, sincere, and upright. He was an indefatigable 
worker. Our offices were on the same floor of the House 
Office Building. While some of us visited our offices on 
the Sabbath, his office was always locked on that day; 
but on every other day he was continually at work. No 
legislation escaped his attention. He ably represented 
the farmers and never seemed to tire of discussing mat- 
ters relating to farm work. He was not averse to being 
told that his devotion to the progress of agriculture was 
producing good results, for the interests of the farmer 
were his interests. 

We know not of the future, but we do know that our 
time comes. Mr. Morgan frequently spoke of the future 
life, and I am sure all is well with him. I have in mind 

58129—22 2 [17] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

the lines of Michigan's philosopher-poet, Edgar Guest, 
which seem to me to express the sentiment that he so 
often voiced : 

There is no death. I am sure of that. 

The thing that seems to be 
Is but the touch of winter 

That lays bare the spreading tree. 

And as the roses bloom again 

When all the snow has gone, 
So do the souls of men arise 

"With brighter raiment on. 

O weary heart, be strong, be brave. 

Nor v/ince beneath the sting; 
Beyond the gates of death there lies 

The sweet, eternal spring. 

This was the belief of our friend and worthy colleague, 
now deceased, whose voice is stilled for all time to come. 
We can only say, " Farewell, beloved colleague." 



[18] 



Address of Mr. Ferris, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the Congress: The 
House of Representatives has convened to-day in extraor- 
dinary session to pay honor and a last mark of respect to 
our late colleague, Dick T. Morgan, of Oklahoma. His 
life and character eminently entitle him to be thus 
honored. 

How often we have sat at the bier of a departed friend 
and heard virtues extolled that the deceased did not 
possess — how different with Morgan. No one would or 
could challenge one step in his spotless life. No one 
could or would detract from his brilliant record of devo- 
tion to duty and usefulness in life. 

In citizenship, religion, law, politics, and statesman- 
ship he was a man every day. 

How often we have observed lives marked with success 
that do not square with our sense of morals, justice, or 
right living — how different with Morgan. His high ideals, 
his exalted sense of justice between man and man, his 
fine moral fiber, his rare judgment of things and men, 
his devotion to duty are all milestones pointing the way 
to the successful life he led. 

Differ with him in politics, yes; but they were honest 
differences. No man of stature loses respect for his fel- 
low man who has honest differences with him; only 
those of small stature and inferior mentality would ever 
exact a different rule. 

Death always comes too soon. Few of us, in health or 
in full possession of our faculties, are ever quite ready to 
embrace it; it is the thought that we must leave behind 
the known and the explored for the unknown and the 
unexplored. This thought that death always comes too 

[19] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

soon is even made more marked and conspicuous when 
a life full of usefulness and devotion to duty is cut down 
in the midday of hope, achievement, and success. 

Who is there among us that has not pondered over the 
perplexity of a human life? Who is there here or else- 
where who has not sought to fathom the problem of why 
it is that to-day we are full of hope, joy, life, and activity, 
while to-morrow we are but the poorest clay? Looking 
backward through 6,000 years of recorded history, the 
problem of the human life is as perplexing to-day as it 
was in the beginning. 

The gifted Ingersoll proceeds to say: 

I do not say there is no life beyond the grave; I simply say I 
do not know. 

The Book of Books, that has stood the test of time and 
reason for more than nineteen hundred years, tells us 
that there is life and hope and joy beyond the grave. It 
affords all men the blessed assurance that the grave is not 
the end. 

I pause and ask who of us here to-day or elsewhere is 
willing to trade the words of hope and life laid down in 
the Book of Books for that bleak, dismal, and erring doc- 
trine, " I do not know "? 

Everything about us breathes the blessed assurance of 
a life other than this one; a life beyond the grave. The 
flowers, the plants, the foliage are cut down by the frost of 
winter simply to return to us in springtime more glorious, 
beautiful, and gorgeous than before. 

If matter, mute and inanimate, can be molded into a 
multitude of forms, can never die, can we not be again 
reassured and made certain of the fact that there is a 
future for the soul of the man made in the image of his 
Creator? 

No; I feel as certain as that I live that the soul of the 
late Dick T. Morgan is safe and secure in the arms of his 

[20] 



Address of Mr. Ferris, of Oklahoma 

Maker, in that land where the din and smoke of battle 
never goes; in that land that is fairer than day; in that 
beautiful isle of somewhere where there is no death, no 
sorrow, remorse, waiting, and disappointment, but where 
all is peace, hope, joy, and rest. 

His mantle of love, charity, and regard for the humble 
toiler and producer of the country has fallen on no one 
man or small group of men, but it is the golden heritage 
of State and Nation. So sympathetic with the weak, still 
so able to discern injustice and grapple with the strong, 
his is the sweetest memory that has yet graced the pages 
of Oklahoma's fleeting vestibule of time. The somber 
poverty of his youth, the rapid rise to fame in both State 
and Nation, must of necessity shatter the skepticism of 
the skeptic, inspire new faith in the faithless. His was a 
life well worthy of emulation. He was an honorable man 
every day. His place in history is secure. He belongs to 
the ages. Peace to his ashes. 



[21] 



Address of Mr. Harreld, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker: In 1907 the great State of Oklahoma was 
born. It was the offspring of the wedlock between what 
was known as Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory. 
Into that State came the heterogeneous population of 
both of those Territories. Immediately there came up 
the necessity of that great State choosing its officials to 
represent it in the Congress of the United States as well 
as in the halls of the legislature and in the executive 
offices of the State. The best people of that State, because 
of this heterogeneous population that had accumulated 
from various parts of the Nation, were rather uneasy in 
their selection of these public officials. Among its popu- 
lation were men of ability and distinction that had mi- 
grated there from other States. There was also among 
its population adventurers and men who had made fail- 
ures and even been convicted of crime in other States 
who had migrated to that State to take another trial at 
life and its problems. These last were aggressive aspir- 
ants for political preferment, and so the people of that 
great State were put to it in choosing their officials. They 
were obliged in many cases to choose between men whose 
reputations were not established, with whom they were 
not acquainted; and in some instances, perhaps, mistakes 
were made in the selection of officers. I am glad to say 
that that day is gone, and the people know each other 
and have come in touch with each other and understand 
each other. 

There was one man about whose integrity there was 
never any doubt. That man offered himself as a candi- 
date for Congress. That man was Dick T. Morgan, not 
unknown to the people of the State because he had served 



r22] 



Address of Mr. Harreld, of Oklahoma 

the public in that State for years in various capacities. 
He was a man in whom the people had confidence, and he 
soon came to the front as one of the citizens of that State 
upon whom dependence and reliance could be had. The 
people delighted to honor him and did honor him, and, 
though he was no longer young at the time of his death, 
he was commonly known in that country as " Dick." 
People did not think of him as other than a young man 
at all. Some people did call him " Uncle Dick," but he 
was one man in whom the people of that State had abso- 
lute and entire confidence, and it was more a term of 
affection than otherwise. 

There were a few traits of character that Dick pos- 
sessed that I want to talk about. One has been touched 
upon by the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Smith], and 
that was his piety and his devotion to the cause of Christi- 
anity. He was the strictest observer of the Sabbath that 
I have ever known. I think that fact was mentioned by 
the gentleman from Michigan. I remember an incident 
that illustrated this phase of his character. During the 
last session of this Congress one of the high officials of 
this House gave a reception on Sunday afternoon. That 
was because there was no other time, perhaps, for a 
reception on account of the press of business in the 
House. On the morning of that reception I said to Uncle 
Dick, " I am going to the reception, and if you and your 
wife would like a seat in our car I would be glad to have 
you go." He said, " I thank you very much, but Mrs. 
Morgan and I have decided not to go." I said, " That is 
rather strange; this is the only reception this ofTicer has 
given this year. I should think you ought to make a spe- 
cial effort to go." Then he said, in a modest way, "Mrs. 
Morgan and I do not attend public receptions on Sunday." 

It illustrated the character of the man. When he be- 
lieved in a thing he was firm in that belief and had the 

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Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

courage to make known his conviction when pressed for 
a reason. 

He was apparently a modest man, but he had the in- 
herent firmness to stand by his convictions. He was very 
much interested in the World War veterans' welfare. He 
gave a great deal of time and consideration to a plan by 
which he expected to provide a method by which the vet- 
erans could procure homes on the farms. As the gentle- 
man from Michigan said, he was an authority on the ques- 
tion of rural credits and farm-loan banks and the laws 
relating thereto. He had sought to work out along the 
same line a system by which the World War veterans 
could purchase homes on long-time credits. He had spent 
a great deal of time and energy in perfecting that system. 
When the time came to consider the soldiers' bonus bill 
he was an earnest advocate of that bill and sought to have 
incorporated in the adjusted compensation bill his system 
of credits to ex-service men purchasing homes. It was 
through his efforts it was adopted as one of the five op- 
tional plans in a modified form, and to-day it is one of the 
most popular of all the proposed optional plans embraced 
in the bonus bill which passed the House last session. 

During the last year it was my pleasure to come in direct 
contact with the constituents of his district. It is remark- 
able how he had ingratiated himself into the affections of 
his constituency. I have never seen a people who were so 
fond of their Representative as the people of his district 
were of him. There, after all, is the test of a man's suc- 
cess. What do the people whom he served think of him? 
Measured by that standard, Dick Morgan was a success 
as a Congressman because people knew and appreciated 
his work. When he died he was brought to Oklahoma 
City, my home city, and there the funeral was held and 
there he was interred. While his home for many years 
had been at Woodward, Okla., he had formerly lived in 

[24] 



Address of Mr. Harreld, of Oklahoma 

Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma City had formerly been 
in his district which he represented in Congress, although 
not in his district at the time of his death. His son lives 
there and is an honored practitioner at the bar. I pre- 
sume at the request of his son he was buried there. It 
was my good fortune to be present and to witness the 
homage that was paid him then and there. 

Men came from every county in his district to attend 
the funeral, men came from all over the State of Okla- 
homa to attend the funeral, and the long line of those who 
came there to testify to their reverence for him was an- 
other evidence of the esteem in which Dick T. Morgan 
was held. The people of Oklahoma appreciate the loss 
they have sustained. They also appreciate the nice things 
that are said of him to-day by his colleagues in this House, 
and they feel that the standards of official life are greatly 
enhanced and greatly improved by having had as their 
distinguished citizen and public servant Dick T. Morgan. 



[25] 



Address of Mr. Yates, of Illinois 

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House: A certain 
poet has said of a man more celebrated than any of us — 

The color of the ground was in him, the red earth; 
The smack and tang of elemental things; 
The rectitude and patience of the cliff; 
The good will of the rain that loves all leaves; 
The friendly welcome of the wayside well. 

And further along in the same poem are these words : 

He held his place — 

Held the long purpose like a growing tree — 

Held on through blame and faltered not at praise. 

And when he fell in whirlwind he went down 

As when a lordly cedar, green with boughs, 

Goes down with a great shout upon the hills. 

And leaves a lonesome place against the sky. 

Of course I did not come here this afternoon in order 
that you might hear me talk, and you did not come here 
to hear me, I simply came to pay respect to one who is 
entitled to our respect. A man very near to me said that 
he had served four years as governor of his State, eight 
years in the legislature, six years in the senate, and four 
years in this House, and that the ideal public service for 
an American was the American House of Commons, the 
House of Representatives. I believe that. This is a great 
place, this House of Representatives. If these walls could 
speak to-day, they could tell a tale of eloquence unsur- 
passed in all the world, and I often feel as if there are 
looking down upon us memories, characters, and person- 
alities not to be surpassed in all history. It is a significant 
thing that the House pauses to do honor to those who have 
striven, and striven hard, to be worthy of this place. 

The House of Representatives is in session, the distin- 
guished Speaker has delegated and appointed a distin- 

[26] 



Address of Mr. Yates, of Illinois 



guished citizen of the State of Oklahoma to preside over 
this session; the officers of the House are in their place; 
the mace — the symbol of authority of the House — is in its 
place; and I feel that it is a remarkable thing that in a 
most busy time, in the most busy period of the session, 
men should come here from the committee to which this 
man belonged, and from the State in which he lived, 
and from both the great parties of the House to pay 
their little, simple, informal, and sincere tribute. The 
clash and clatter and clamor which only last night lasted 
almost to midnight are stilled when we contemplate the 
place in which one stood who tried to do his duty, and 
after all that is the greatest thing that any of us can do or 
hope to do. 

I did not know Mr. Morgan at all, you might say, until I 
became acquainted with him all at once, and in a long 
conversation about many things I got from him a concep- 
tion of his character exemplified by these words in the 
verse which I have already quoted — 

The friendly welcome of a wayside well. 

He was friendly, and he gave a friendly welcome. He 
was friendly to me and told me the thing that I wanted to 
know when I felt lonesome and homesick and out of place 
and thought I never would fit, and I am grateful to him 
for that. Upon inquiry I find that he was friendly to 
others, and if you or I were in his place and this meeting 
were called here to do honor to you or to me he would 
want to pay his little tribute as we are trying to do to- 
day. I am very glad, without any formality, as a member 
of the great Committee on the Judiciary, of which he was 
the highest member except the chairman, to testify in a 
modest way to the fact that he always did his duty, and 
in a personal way I want to give my thanks to him for his 
friendliness to me. 



[27] 



Address of Mr. McKeown, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House : It was at the 
close of a long, hot day in August, 1901, nearly 20 years 
ago, that I first saw Dick Morgan. It was in southwestern 
Oklahoma, just before the opening of that wonderful 
country. In company with others I had driven in a cov- 
ered wagon into that country seeking an opportunity to 
file on a homestead at the opening. One of the things 
which I deemed essential to success was a copy of 
Morgan's Land Laws. At that time Mr. Morgan was a 
striking figure; he had a long, black, flowing beard, which 
directed one's attention to his attractive personality. The 
one thing that distinguished him from his fellow citizens 
of that day was his wonderful Christian character. His 
display of culture was quite noticeable in that western 
country at that day. Dick T. Morgan was a highly edu- 
cated man. 

He was a living example of what education will do for a 
man. Back in Indiana he was graduated in 1876 from 
the Union Christian College with the degree of bachelor 
of science. Later he taught in that school as a professor 
of mathematics. Afterwards he attended the Central 
Law School, at Indianapolis, where he graduated with 
the degree of bachelor of laws in 1880, and afterwards, as 
an appreciation of his ability, there was conferred upon 
him the degree of doctor of laws by Bethany College, of 
Bethany, W. Va. He was a man of good ability, peculiar 
in many respects, but one who displayed a strong friend- 
ship for his fellow man. I never saw him again, although 
I read frequently of him, until I met him in the Halls of 
Congress. Being of a different political faith from my- 
self, I wondered how he would treat a new Democratic 

[28] 



Address of Mr. McKeown, of Oklahoma 

Member from Oklahoma. I was agreeably surprised at 
the welcome I received at his hands, so inuch so that I 
could not realize for a few minutes that he was of a dif- 
ferent political faith. 

I want to add my testimony to that of my colleague 
from Oklahoma, Mr. Hastings, in emphasizing the fact 
that in Dick T. Morgan there was a colleague, though dif- 
fering in political faith, in whom one could put absolute 
confidence. The Democratic Members of the delegation 
from Oklahoma welcomed him in conference upon the 
many difficult questions that came before them for solu- 
tion during the terrible days of the war. We had no hesi- 
tation in unburdening ourselves in his presence and to 
him, because we had implicit confidence in his honor and 
his integrity, and likewise he had a similar confidence in 
the Democratic membership from Oklahoma. The one 
striking characteristic of Dick T. Morgan was his high 
personal character. It marked him as a man of distinc- 
tion, and it was a pleasure to know him, because of his 
wonderful Christian character. 

His legislative career here in the Congress from the 
time he entered this House in the Sixty-first Congress is 
to be found in the record of the Congress, down to and 
including the second session of the Sixty-sixth Congress. 
This record is replete with many things accomplished in 
behalf of the people of Oklahoma and of the Nation as a 
whole. 

He had a wonderful hold upon his people, which was 
due partly to the fact that he was one of the ablest organ- 
izers I have ever seen in politics. He knew the people 
in every school district. He could communicate with 
the people of his district and send information to every 
part of it within a few hours, because he had a live 
organization in every district. He had the confidence of 
his fellow men, of his constituents, and of his colleagues 

[29] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

in Congress. He paid special attention to those things 
that affected rural communities and those engaged in 
tilling of the soil. It is a sad thing to have taken from 
us a man so useful when the Nation needs such men so 
badly. But I have an abiding faith that he is happy in 
the living presence of the Savior of men, who will say to 
Dick Morgan, " Thou good and faithful servant, enter 
thou into the joy of thy Lord." 

Mr. Morgan was a kind, indulgent husband, a loving 
father, and an affectionate grandfather. The last conver- 
sation I had with him was about his grandchildren. He 
had just purchased some little things that he wished to 
send to them as an evidence of how much he thought of 
them, just before he started on his journey to the Cana- 
dian Provinces. His sudden death came as a great shock 
to those who had learned to love him. But his time had 
come, and — 

He folded his tent like the Arabs, 
And silently stole away. 



[30] 



Address of Mr. Tincher, of Kansas 

Mr. Speaker: I am reminded to-day of the closing hours 
of the second session of this Congress. Hon. Dick T. 
Morgan had the floor practically up to the hour set for 
the falling of the gavel which closed that session. He 
was making an appeal to his colleagues on a subject dear 
to his heart, and that was the subject of rural credits. No 
better testimony of the statesmanship and farsightedness 
of Mr. Morgan can there be than the speech which he 
then made, as we think of the existing condition pertain- 
ing to the subject concerning which he spoke, that of 
agriculture. 

A few days before his death the news was flashed over 
the wires, which subsequently proved to be untrue, of the 
defeat of the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary 
Committee. To those of us who were familiar with the 
parliamentary situation in the American Congress and 
interested in the great Southwest it immediately became 
apparent how important was the place that Mr. Morgan 
had in this House. I wrote him a letter, which I am sure 
he never received, congratulating him upon the fact 
that he would be the next chairman of the Judiciary 
Committee. 

Dick Morgan's district will always remember him as a 
mild-mannered, kindly gentleman. I doubt if it would be 
possible for the constituency that he so ably represented 
ever to fully understand that by reason of seniority and 
his ability as a fighter he was in the best position to rep- 
resent the great Southwest of any man in the American 
Congress. His death causes a vacancy in the representa- 
tion" of that section of the country on this important com- 
mittee which it takes a man to fill. He had gained that 
position by reason of long and faithful service. 

[31] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

Mr. Morgan advocated some bills which some did not 
entirely agree with. His activity in behalf of the plan for 
rural credits to the soldiers was known to every Member 
of Congress and was, perhaps, the best-advertised piece 
of legislation in behalf of ex-service men that any Con- 
gressman has championed; and the most severe criticism 
I ever heard of that bill was expressed by a colleague, 
who said to him, " Dick, that bill is based for success upon 
the absolute honesty of every man who has a transaction 
with the Government under that law." Mr. Morgan said, 
" Yes, I always assume that toward my fellow man." 

I have known Mr. Morgan a long time. He lived in our 
district and practiced law at Garden City. Our districts 
adjoined for 200 miles. I am proud of the fact that he 
was my friend; he got pleasure out of assisting a new 
Member of Congress. The great Southwest lost in his 
death an able, industrious statesman, who was thoroughly 
acquainted with our needs and in sympathy with his 
people. On behalf of the neighbor State of Kansas, I can 
only say we were proud of him as a neighbor and a 
statesman. 



[32] 



Address of Mr. McClintic, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker: On two occasions the flag of our Nation 
has been draped at half-mast because of the death of two 
distinguished Oklahoma citizens who were serving as 
Members of the House of Representatives. The first Mem- 
ber of this body from the State of Oklahoma to be called 
by the Divine Creator was the late Joe B. Thompson, 
of Pauls Valley, Okla., and to-day we are here to pay the 
last sad tribute to the memory of our distinguished col- 
league and friend, the late Representative Dick T. Morgan, 
of Woodward, Okla. No Member of Congress, regardless 
of his political affiliations, ever rendered more patriotic 
service to his State and to his people than the one whom 
we honor to-day. 

For a number of years Mr. Morgan was the only Repub- 
lican Member of the Oklahoma congressional delegation, 
and while serving in this capacity it can be said that he 
always cooperated with the Democratic Members by doing 
all in his power to promote the welfare of the Nation and 
the State of Oklahoma. During the war with Germany 
it was a most noticeable fact that he stood by the Presi- 
dent in the advocacy of every measure which was pre- 
sented in the interest of the Nation, and his public utter- 
ances on legislation for the interest of all the people show 
that he was conscientious in the performance of all his 
duties. 

Congressman Morgan came to Oklahoma soon after the 
Territory was opened for settlement and was appointed 
registrar of the United States land office at Woodward, 
Okla. He always took an active interest in every matter 
pertaining to the welfare of his party, and his counsel and 
advice were always sought by his party leaders. He was 

58129—22 3 [33] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

probably more interested in matters relating to agricul- 
ture than in any other subject. During the consideration 
of the different measures which were in the interest of the 
farmers he always championed their cause, and in addi- 
tion to introducing a number of bills for the purpose of 
legislating additional benefits to the agricultural class he 
was the author of a most excellent publication, entitled 
" Land Credits — A Plea for the American Farmer." 

Congressman Morgan was a native of the State of In- 
diana. He served one term as a member of the Indiana 
Legislature. He became a Member of the Sixty-first Con- 
gress and was elected to each succeeding Congress until 
his death. His service in the House of Representatives 
was such as to cause him to be held in high esteem by all 
of the Members, and by his death the State of Oklahoma 
has lost one of its most faithful public servants and a Mem- 
ber who was held in high esteem by all who knew him. 

Congressman Morgan was a member of the Christian 
Church and was one of the trustees of the Phillip Chris- 
tian University, which is located at Enid, Okla. His entire 
life was filled with devotion to his home, his State, and his 
Nation. He has left behind him an example which will 
always stand out as a milepost of faithfulness, and his 
record is commendable from every standpoint. 

He was a true Christian in every sense of the word. His 
death will be mourned by his thousands of friends and 
colleagues, and in departing this life he has truly left his 
footprints on the sands of time. 



[34] 



Address of Mr. Volstead, of Minnesota 

Mr. Speaker: For many years I knew Dick Morgan 
quite well. We lived in the same hotel here at Wash- 
ington and served on the same committees in the House 
of Representatives. When I last saw him there was 
nothing to suggest that I was bidding him farewell for 
the last time. He looked hale and hearty; his appearance 
indicated that he had years of useful work ahead of him. 

Members of Congress are, as a rule, pretty good judges 
of the character of their associates. The membership of 
the House, with very few, if any, exceptions, entertained 
for Mr. Morgan the kindliest feelings and a genuine regard 
for his splendid personal qualities. Everyone had the 
utmost confidence in his honesty and admired his untiring 
devotion to his duties, both private and public. His faith- 
fulness reminds me of some passages from Lord Lytton's 
Lucile. I quote : 

It is not the deed 
A man does, but the way that he does it, should plead 
For the man's compensation in doing it. 

Here, 
My next neighbor's a man with twelve thousand a year, 
Who deems that life has not a pastime more pleasant 
Than to follow a fox or to slaughter a pheasant. 
Yet this fellow goes through a contested election. 
Lives in London, and sits, like the soul of dejection. 
All the day through upon a committee, and late 
To the last, every night, through the dreary debate. 
One asks himself why, without murmur or question, 
He forgoes all his tastes, and destroys his digestion, 
For a labor of which the result seems so small. 
" The man is ambitious," you say. Not at all. 

[35] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

Then, I ask, 
What inspires and consoles such a self-imposed task 
As the life of this man, but the sense of its duty? 
And I swear that the eyes of the haughtiest beauty 
Have never inspired in my soul that intense. 
Reverential, and loving, and absolute sense 
Of heartfelt admiration I feel for this man. 
As I see him beside me, there, wearing the wan 
London daylight away, on his humdrum committee; 
So unconscious of all that awakens my pity, 
And wonder — and worship, I might say? 

To me 
There seems something nobler than genius to be 
In that dull, patient labor no genius relieves. 
That absence of all joy which yet never grieves; 
The humility of it! the grandeur withal! 
The sublimity of itl 

His work is the duty to which he was born; 
He accepts it, without ostentation or scorn; 
And this man is no uncommon type (I thank Heaven!) 
Of this land's common men. 

Mr. Morgan was not only honest and industrious; he was 
a man of ideals and convictions. He always had the 
courage to defend his views, and did so forcibly and 
effectively. 

Representing a farming community, he made a special 
study of its needs and could always be found on the firing 
line when any legislation in the interest of the farmers 
was under consideration. He gave much attention to 
farm credit and wrote a book and introduced bills deal- 
ing with that subject. As a pioneer in that line he de- 
serves much credit. No doubt Dick Morgan will be re- 
membered as one of its chief promoters. I shall not 
attempt any extended review of his career. Suffice it to 
say that during all of the time that I knew him he strove 
honestly to perform his full duty. He performed his 
duty well and won and deserved the esteem and love 
of his associates and those he represented. We are glad 
to honor his memory. His career is one to be emulated. 

[36] 



Address of Mr. Goodykoontz, of West Virginia 

Mr. Speaker: When death came to Mr. Morgan he was 
holding the position of ranking member of the Committee 
on the Judiciary — a lawyers' committee — of the House, 
consisting of 21 members, a miniature legislative body 
within itself. Upon entering Congress I was assigned to 
that committee, and in that way was placed in right close 
contact with Mr. Morgan. 

My associations with Mr. Morgan on the great commit- 
tee I have mentioned, as also in this Chamber, were very 
pleasant. 

Mr. Morgan zealously guarded the interests of farmers 
and of soldiers, and lost no opportunity to defend the 
just rights of these worthy members of society. Mr. Mor- 
gan was a live wire, dynamic rather than static, a poten- 
tial force in formulating policies and shaping legislation. 

Mr. Morgan was a gentleman of culture and great eru- 
dition, and walked uprightly before God and man. What 
may be said of him here to-day are not the words of 
flattery, for such can not " soothe the dull, cold ear of 
death," but they are the testimony of associates and 
friends, to be recorded as a memorial to a worthy fellow 
Member in order that history may teach to all the lesson 
of his excellent life. 

It is to be regretted that Mr. Morgan could not have 
lived longer to serve his great State, for he was yet in his 
prime, but concerning this we will have to accept the 
philosophy of Cicero. In Friendship and Old Age, Cicero 
tells us that we should not mourn for the dead; that to 
his mind — 

nothing whatever seems of long duration in which there is any 
end. For when that time arrives then the time which has passed 
has flowed away; that only remains which you have secured by 

[37] 



Memorial Addresses: REPRESEXTAxnT Morgan 

virtue and right conduct. Hours, indeed, depart from us, and 
days and months and years; nor does past time ever return. 
* \Miatever time is assigned to each to live, with that 
he ought to be content. 

Cicero believed tliat the souls of men were immortal, 
and therefore it mattered not how long a man should 
dwell upon the earth. 

Judge MoRG.\x was of a deeply religious nature, and 
when the time came for liim to begin liis journey, and as 
he entered the valley leading to the undiscovered land, 
united with Bryant in saying : 

He who, from zone to zone, 

Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight. 
In the long way that I must tread alone, 

Will lead my steps aright. 



[38] 



Address of Mr. SwnsD.\LL, of Oklahoma 

Mr. Speaker .\xd Gentlemen of the House: I consider 
it an honor to pay my tribute to the high character, integ- 
rit}% and public ser\'ice of the late Dick T. Morgan, as 
well as his ser\'ice to humanity in the role of a private 
citizen. 

He served the people of his native State of Indiana as 
a member of the lower house of the legislature in the 
session of 1880-81. He was appointed registrar of the 
United States land office at Woodward, Okla., by Presi- 
dent Roosevelt in 1904. It was at the last date I became 
personally acquainted Mith him. At the time of his ap- 
pointment there was a large amount of business being 
transacted at the United States land office at Woodward, 
Okla. Testimony had been taken in a number of contest 
cases in which the former registrar and receiver had not 
had time to render opinions. Mr. Morgan immediately 
got busy and decided these cases. His ser%'ice was so 
efficient in this work that when the Alva and Woodward 
land offices were consolidated in 1908, and by reason 
thereof Mr. Morgan lost his position as registrar of the 
Woodward land office, the members of his part}- decided 
he should be a candidate for Congress from the second 
district of the State of Oklahoma. He consented to enter 
the priman.' and was nominated and elected and has 
served the people of the State as Representative in Con- 
gress from the second and eighth congressional districts 
since that time to Uie date of his death. He would have 
been the nominee of his party in 1920 and would have 
been elected by the largest majority he ever received had 
it not been for his untimelv death. Had he lived to fill 



[39] 



Memorial Addresses: Representative Morgan 

his term he would have honestly and faithfully served his 
district, State, and Nation for a period of 12 years. 

During his residence in Woodvi^ard he and I lived 
within two blocks of each other and were warm personal 
and political friends. In 1912 it was the view of the 
Democrats and Republicans that the member of the Re- 
publican State committee must be nominated at the pri- 
mary election. I was induced by Mr. Morgan and a num- 
ber of his friends to become a candidate for State com- 
mitteeman and was selected at the primary election. 
Since that time I have taken an active part in each of his 
congressional campaigns and became well acquainted 
with his work as a Member of Congress and his private 
life as a citizen of our State. Politically he was a Re- 
publican, but after his election he was truly a representa- 
tive of the people of his district, State, and Nation. He 
did not carry politics into his high office as a Member of 
Congress, but at all times honestly, faithfully, and fear- 
lessly endeavored to represent the citizens of the Nation 
to the best of his knowledge, skill, and understanding. I 
feel that this is the highest compliment that may be paid 
to my good friend and late fellow townsman. I appre- 
ciate very much the kind remarks of his many friends 
expressed upon the floor of this House to-day, and I may 
say that the kind eulogies in memory of his efficient serv- 
ice will be appreciated by every citizen of his district, as 
well as the citizens of the State and the Nation who in- 
formed themselves upon his public career. 

In politics, as in private life, he believed in dealing 
fairly and justly with every citizen. He would respond 
as promptly to the call of the most humble citizen of his 
State as he would to the most powerful and influential 
member of his own party. During the World War he 
advocated such measures as were proposed by the Presi- 
dent to make the American Army the most efficient army 

[40] 



Address of Mr. Swindall, of Oklahoma 

engaged in the great struggle for the rights of humanity. 
After the armistice was signed he worked diligently to 
secure the discharge of all soldiers engaged in the agri- 
cultural enterprise in order that they might return to 
their homes and carry on their former avocations. He 
was also a strong advocate of the soldiers' land bill, 
which, in substance, later became one of the component 
parts of the bill for the relief of American soldiers en- 
gaged in the World War. He did this purely from the 
standpoint of an American citizen and statesman and in 
justice to our noble soldiers who so valiantly stood by the 
American Government in the greatest struggle ever 
known to the world. 

Mr. Morgan was a Christian gentleman. He was a 
member of the Christian Church and led a truly pure and 
Christian life. We believe, from what we know of him, 
and from what his many friends have said concerning 
him, that his life, public and private, may be expressed 
in the beautiful lines of the poet who said : 

Do your work as well, 

Both the unseen and the seen, 
Make the house where God may dwell 

Beautiful, entire, and clean. 

It was his wish that he might be buried at Oklahoma 
City, the home of his only son, Porter H. Morgan; so in 
accordance with his wishes, at Oklahoma City on July 10, 

1920, we consigned his dust to dust and commended his 
spirit to God who gave it. 

The Speaker pro tempore. In accordance with the reso- 
lution previously adopted the House stands adjourned. 

Accordingly (at 2 o'clock and 25 minutes p. m.) the 
House adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, February 28, 

1921, at 11 o'clock a. m. 



58129—25 



[41] 



LIBRARY OF CONGREJ 



016 093 706 3 



